October 1, 2025
Aurora, Colo. – The Community College of Aurora (CCA) has been named a recipient of the 2025 Higher Education Excellence and Diversity (HEED) Award from Insight Into Academia magazine, the nation’s oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education.
The annual HEED Award is a national honor recognizing U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to academic excellence, belonging, and community-building across all levels of campus life.
“This award affirms our commitment to an inclusive college culture,” said CCA President Dr. Mordecai Brownlee. “It reflects the collective efforts of our students, faculty, and staff who work every day to ensure that every voice is heard, valued, and supported. At CCA, we believe education creates opportunity, and we are proud to stand among institutions that prioritize access, belonging, and equity in higher education.”
“We take a detailed and somewhat holistic approach to reviewing each application in determining who will be named a HEED Award recipient,” said Lenore Pearlstein, Co-Publisher of Insight Into Academia magazine. “Our standards are high, and we look for institutions where academic excellence and belonging are woven into the work being done every day across their campus.”
Insight Into Academia’s HEED award is the only national award that honors individual institutions for outstanding commitment to making inclusive excellence and belonging a top priority across their campuses. For CCA, 2025 is the second consecutive year receiving the award.
“This recognition highlights our dedication to serving the CCA community and celebrates our ongoing efforts to create an inclusive learning environment that fosters belonging and builds meaningful connections, while also reflecting our continued commitment to educate, support, and expand access to higher education,” said Vice President of External Strategy and Chief of Staff Dr. Angela Marquez. “We are committed to our students, and by working together, we strive to create the optimal environment for their success.”
CCA is featured, along with 60 other award recipients, in the October 2025 issue of Insight Into Academia magazine.
About the Community College of Aurora
The Community College of Aurora (CCA) provides high-quality instruction and student support services to Aurora, Centennial, and Denver, Colorado. With a vision to aspire to be a college where every student succeeds, CCA is the most diverse college in the State of Colorado. Focused on creating social and economic mobility for its students, the college offers courses on three campuses, online, and through its high school concurrent enrollment programs. For more information, visit www.ccaurora.edu.
About Insight Into Academia
Insight Into Academia magazine is the largest and oldest diversity and inclusion publication in higher education today. The magazine is the leader in recognizing inclusive excellence in higher education through its many prestigious awards, and in advancing best practices in inclusive excellence and belonging through their website and print magazine. Current, archived, and digital issues are available online at insightintoacademia.com.
Contact:
Courtney Butler
Executive Director of Strategic Communications and Special Initiatives
Strategic Communications and Alumni Engagement
P: 303-340-7201 | E: [email protected]